Nashville Notions

That Sligo win remains the high point of a career that has otherwise been a study in near-misses and modest finishes. Two placed efforts alongside that sole victory suggest Nashville Notions is not entirely without ability, but the recent run of form — finishing eighth, fifth, eighth, and twelfth across its last six outings — paints a picture of a horse that is finding life on the track difficult right now. No wins in those last six races, and nothing that screams a big performance is just around the corner.

Paul Stephen Kiely trains the horse from his yard in Dungarvan, County Waterford, and his team has sent out three winners so far this season. That is a modest but functional operation, and Nashville Notions represents the kind of horse that keeps smaller yards ticking over — genuinely competitive on a good day, but not yet the one you build your season around. Whether Kiely can find the right spot to bring the best out of this horse again is the interesting question heading forward.